Massey's agrifood expertise wanted by Beijing

Massey University’s expertise in food
production is being sought by Daxing district in China's
capital city, Beijing.

Delegates from the district visited
the Manawatū campus today to view and discuss the
university’s agricultural technology and research, which
could soon be used in an agricultural park being established
in Daxing, a suburb in the south of the city with a
population of more than 600,000.

The New Zealand
Agricultural Park is being established as a joint venture
between Daxing district, the Wellington City Council and
other as yet unidentified New Zealand agricultural
organisations to showcase New Zealand’s agricultural
technology and research – and Massey is in talks to become
part of the venture.

Massey College of Business Associate
Pro-Vice Chancellor and the university's agrifood director,
Professor Claire Massey, says a laboratory or research
centre could be established in the park. “They want to set
up an intensive area where they will grow food, but they are
also very interested in intensive farming,” Professor
Massey says. “They are interested in looking at the
science they can use to produce more food and we have a
whole lot of the science that can enable them to do this
better.

"It’s the absolute early days of discussions but
it’s about using our capabilities in agrifood, their need
for that food, in a joint venture between New Zealand and
Beijing.”

The park will be built to New Zealand’s
quality control standards and become part of Beijing's
"Green Economic Ring".

Wellington City Council
international relations manager Tom Yuan, who is working on
the project, says the district is interested in Massey’s
expertise. “They would like to invite [Massey] experts to
Beijing, to be part of research projects and work alongside
other researchers,” he says. “It would also mean PhD
students could come here [to Daxang]
too.”

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